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LETTER  FROM  BENJAMIN  HAV/KINS 


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THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINIANA 


Cd970.03 
H39L 


^  ...  170. 


=av 


No.  L 


OF 


D  O  C  U  M  E  N  T  S 

AccornpuJiying  the  President's  Commu?ucatio7is 
to  Congress^  the  8lb  day  of  December^  ISOL 

Letter  from  the  Principal  Agent  for 
Indian  affairs.  South  of  the  Ohio. 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2011  witii  funding  from 

University  of  Nortii  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/letterfromprinciOOhawk 


COPY  OF  A  LETTER 


FROM 


1^  E  N  J  A  M I N    HA  JFK  INS, 


y/  SKETCH  of  the  present  state  of  the  objects  un- 
der the  charge  of  the  principal  agent  for  Indi- 
an affairs^  south  of  the  Ohio. 

THE  NATIONAL  COUNCIL. 

THE  Indians  of  the  Creek  agency  have  been 
prevailed  on  by  the  agent,  to  conform  in  a  consi- 
derable degree  to  his  ideas  on  this  subject.  Once 
a  year,  and  generally  in  the  month  of  iVJay,  the 
towns  are  invited  by  the  agent  to  send  a  deputation 
to  meet  on  a  given  day,  to  compose  a  National 
Council.     To  this   council   the  asrent  inakes  a  re- 

o 

port  of  the  state  af  the  nation;  suggests  his  ideas 
of  what  is  proper  for  them  to  do,  arid  applies  f^r 
compensation  and  so.tiidaction,  for  on'ences  com- 
mitted in  violation  of  their  treaty  stipulations  v,  ilh 
us. 

The  number  of  deputies  Avho  attend  cannot  lii- 
therto  be  restrained  to  a  given  number,  but  they 
seldom  exceed  5  or  6  fi'om  a  town  :  at  iirst  it  re- 
quired a  continued  attention  co  the  Ciiiefs,  to  make 


(  4  ) 

them  comprehend  the  iitUitr  oi  such  a  plai?,  and 
the  necessity  of  c-arrying  its  decisions  into  effect. 

Heretofore,  every  tov^n,  tribe  or  family,  provided 
its  own  rej^ulations,  and  those  of  a  srenero.l  tcnden- 
C}^  were  left  to  the  manageir-ent  of  piiblic  agents, 
who  used  temporary  expedients  only,  among  the 
most  pov/erful  and  persuasive  of  which  were  the 
pressure  of  fear  from  without,  and  presents. 

The  council  appoint  a  speaker,  vvho  remains  in 
office  without  limitation  as  to  time  :  all  propositi- 
ons are  debated  until  they  are  agreed  to,  or  post- 
poned; the  agreement  is  called  the  will  of  the  na- 
tion, and  is  expressed  by  the  speaker  publicly  to 
all  the  Chiefs,  and  to  the  ap;ent  for  Indian  affairs, 
■who  records  such  parts  as  interest  any  of  their 
neighbors,  red  or  \Ahite. 

The  council,  Mdien  convened,  sit  night  and  day; 
the  public  buildings  is  the  place  of  lodging  as  well 
as  business,  and  they  debate  ns  much  in  the  night 
as  in  the  day  ;  they  lie  dov/n  when  they  are  sleepy, 
when  hungry  they  eat,  and  when  any  thing  im- 
portant is  under  debate  they  attend  to  it. 

The  agent  furnishes  beef,  corn,  beans  and  salt, 
and  the  town,  where  the  council  meet,  furnishes 
butchers,  cooks  and  v.aitcrs.  The  cxpence  of  a 
meeting  is  somxething  less  than  400  dollars.  I 
doubt  not,  in  a  few  years,  it  will  be  a  useful  in- 
strument to  approximate  them  to  a  more  civilized 
state,  and  give  the  United  States  a  more  command- 
ing influence  over  them.  One  of  the  interpreters, 
and  assistants  to  tlse  agent,  a  half  breed,  and  chief 
of  the  land,  remains  constanth'"  in  the  council,  du- 
ring their  sitting ;  and  the  agent  lias  a  right  to  en- 
ter and  speak  when  he  pleases. 

RAISING  OP  STOCK. 
This  is  m-ore  relished  bv  the  Creeks,  than  anv 
part  of  the  plan  devised  for  tlieh'  clvilvzation.   They 


(  5  ) 

are  now  eagerly  acquiring  cattle  by  every  means  in 
their  power.  Tlie  country  is  a  Hue  range  for  them, 
summer  and  winter;  every  town  has  some,  ac- 
quired mostly  during  the  revolution  v;ar  i:;e- 
tween  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  by  t -12 
traders,  tories,  here  a  banditti  of  plunderers,  or  by 
the  war  parties  of  Indians. 

Cattle,  till  lately,  wei'C  not  licld  in  much  c^:;-:ia. 
tion;  but  since  the  failure  of  supplies  n^oiii  hunt- 
ing, they  are  resorted  to  as  the  substiiue,  and  tear 
a  pretty  good  price;  cowes  and  calves  are  raied  at 
10  dollars,  and  steers,  for  beef,  by  age,  u:  Si  dol- 
lars and  50  cents  per  year.  The  country  Is  tine 
for  hogs  ;  but  the  want  of  fences,  scarcity  of  crrn, 
from  the  present  state  of  agriculture,  and  iiiUUen- 
tion  of  the  Indians,  both  of  Vvhich  is  necessary  to 
keep  them  from  runninir  wild,  and  beii;f<  too  much 
infested  Avith  wolves,  tygers  and  wild  cats,  i?,  for 
the  present  a  bar  to  their  increase.  Horses  are  in 
general  use,  but  small,  liable  within  a  fev.-  yeai's  to 
a  distemper  called  here  the  jellow  ^vater.  The  a- 
gent  has  the  last  Avinter  introduced  seme  sheep; 
they  are  in  the  care  of  an  assistant  and  interpreter,  a 
half  breed,  and  promise  to  do  well.  There  is  ano- 
ther f.ock,  the  property  of  Mr.  Barnard,  an  assist- 
ant and  interpreter  among  the  lower  Creeks,  of 
several  )'-ears  standinp;,  vvhich  increase  fast  and 
liaA'e  line  wool.  Re  has  goats  also,  which  do  well. 
Stock  of  all  kinds  require  salt,  except  where  they 
have  moss  or  cypress  ponds,  or  are  within  sixty 
miles  of  the  sea  coast. 

AGRICULTURE. 

The  improvements  in  this  are   slovrly  progres- 
sive.    The  agent  Iras  prevailed  on  several  of  the 
towns,  who  had  exhausted  the  lands  in  their  neioh- 
bornood  by  culture,  to  settle  out  in  villages  ;   this 
.practice  is  increasing,  and  ail  ci*  them  fence  their 


C     6     ) 

fields.  There  has  been  a  demand  this  season  for 
ploughs,  and  70  have  been  issued  out  of  those  sent 
by  the  Secretaiy  of  War;  and  50  of  them  are  in 
use  by  Indians. 

There  is  a  nursery  of  peach  trees  in  the  Lower 
Creeks,  and  one  has  been  lately  established  amonj^ 
the  Upper  Creeks,  and  the  Indians  begin  to  accept 
of,  and  to  plant  them.  Nearly  5000  have  been 
raised  and  distributed  since  the  arrival  of  the  agent. 

The  nurseries  are  increased,  and  will  be  kept  up 
to  the  demand ;  they  are  hitherto  raised  by  the  agent 
and  his  assistants,  wilhout   any  expence  to  the 
agency.     Cotton  is  raised  in   several  places,  -but 
in    small   qu^rntities,    by    Indians  ;   it    does    well 
thi^oughout  the  agency.     The  green  seed  is  in  ge- 
neral use,  and  v.eil  suited  to  the  ruorthern   half  of 
the  agency ;  and  the  sea-island   cotton,  from  two 
successive  experim.ents,  promises   to  do   well   on 
the  southern  half;   some  cotton  has  been  sent   to 
market.     Flax  docs  well ;   the  next  season  will  be 
cultivated  in  several  places  :   There  is  much  rich 
s%vamp  land  fine  for  it,  and  sufficiently  dry  in  the  sea-  ' 
son  for  its  gTowth.     Wheat,  barley,  rye  and  oats, 
have  been  introduced  and  fairly  tried  ;   the   three 
first  do  vrel],  but  the  snrincrs  bein2:  eenerailv   drv, 
oats  have  failed.   The  earl}'  v.  hite  and  brovvn  wheat 
is  ripe  by  the  middle  of  May.     Apple  trees,  grape- 
vines, rasberries,  and  the  roots,  herbs  and  vegeta- 
bles,  usually   cultivated  in    good    gardens,    have 
lately  been  introduced,  and  they  all  thrive  well. 

?/[  ANUF  A  C  TURE  3 . 

7,"'hc  present  spring  the  agent  has  delivered  to 
Indian  women,  100  pair  cotton  cards,  and  80  spin- 
ning Vvheels  ;  there  is  eight  looms  in  the  nation, 
four  of  them  wrought  by  Indian  or  half  breed 
ivomen,  and  the  remainder  by  white  women. 
There  is  a   Vvoman   emnloved  as  an  assistant,  to 


(     7     ) 

teach  the   Indiim  women  to   spin  and  weave  ;   and 
the  agent  bus  appohited,  as  a  temporary  assistant, 
a  young  Englishman,  from  a  manufactory  in  Stock- 
port, in  England,  ^^'ho  can  make  looms  and  spin- 
ning wheels,  and  every  thing  appertaining  to  them, 
and  he   understands  Vv-eaving.     He  vrill,  in  a  few 
days,  have  a  ninth  loom  set  up  at  the  residence 
of  the  agent.      The  women  have  this  spring  adopt- 
ed this  part  of  the  plan  Vv  ilh  spirit,  and  have  pro- 
mised to  follow  the  directions   of  the  agent  with 
exactitude.     Three  Indian  women,  of  one  family, 
^\■\\Q  have  been  spinning  for  two  years  only,    have 
clothed  themsehes  well,  and  ha^e  acquired  some 
hogs    and  cattle,  are  proud  of  the  exertions  they 
have  made,  and  are,  by  their  conduct,  a  stimulus 
to  their  country-women.      One  of  the  looms  and 
two  of  the  spinning  wheels  in  use  were  made  by 
an  Indian  chief,  for  his  own  family. 

The  cliicfs,  who  were  apprehensive  at  first  that 
if  their  women  could  clothe  and  find  themselves  by 
their  own  exertions,  would  become  independent 
of  the  degraded  state  of  connection  between  them, 
have  had  proofs  that  the  link  is  more  firm,  in  pro- 
portion as  the  women  are  more  useful,  and  occu- 
pied in  domestic  concerns. 

Oil  of  hickory  nut  and  acorns  was  in  use,  in 
small  quantities,  among  the  Indians,  as  an  article 
of  food.  In  the  vear  1797  the  aeent,  fmdine:thc^t 
the  hickory  trees  v  ere  mixed  through  the  waving 
land,  and  abounded  on  the  flats,  made  an  effort  to 
encourage  this  manufacture  :  he  offered  three- 
fourths  of  a  dollar  a  quart  for  the  oil  ihaX  should 
be  made  that  year  of  hickory  nut,  and  could  pro- 
cure a  few  bottles  only.  In  1798  he  received  8  gal- 
lons; in  1799  he  purchased  30  gallons,  and  the  fast 
winter  he  fixed  the  price  at  1  dollar  per  gallon,  and 
the  manufacture  has  been  increased  to  300  gallons, 
actually  delivered  for  market.     Some  has  been 


(     8      ) 

sent  to  Mobile,  and  sold  at  two  dollars,  and  a  trader 
is  now  descending  the  Alabama,  en  his  way  to 
New-Orieans,  with  a  p^ss  from  the  agent,  with 
240  galions  of  the  Oil.     -       . 
,   I'he  process  of  making  this  cii  is  simple,  and 
susceptible  of  improvement.     The  nuts  are  dried 
and  pounded,    then-  the   shells  sifted  out,  the  re- 
mains kneaded  up,  .then  put  into  boiling  ^valer, 
stirred  up -for-:  a  while, ..set  by  from  fire  ;   the  oil 
rises  to  tlie -top",  -"  is'  brushed  off  with  feathers ,  and 
then  bolletU      The  blaek  jack'  acorn  is  the  best  of 
the  .acorn  oil,  and   in  m.ore  estimation  among  the 
Indians,  thaji  the  hickory  nut  oil.     Coai'se  earthen 
po'-s   and  pans,  garters    ornamented   with   beads, 
bas-kefs,^- sifters,  -and  fanners   ingeniously  made  of 
split  cane,  and;  m-ocasins,  closes  the  list  of  their 
manufactures. 

Precautions   prCi^entatl'oe  of  the   com77iissio7i    of 
crimes'in  aid  of  the  ex^ertious  of  the  old  Chiefs. 

In  the  fall  season,  jevery ..hunting  party,  in  going 
out,  re}X)rt  themselves   tp^  the.. he  ad   men   of  the 
town,  and  one  of  them  is  appointed  the  chief,  to 
be  answerable  for  the  conduct  of  his  companions. 
In  all  practicable   cases   the   cliief  applies  to   the 
agent,  states   the   intention  of  his  party,  and  re- 
ceives a  certificate  of  tite-fact,-nTcommendim>;  him 
to  the  .-friendly   attention   of  such  white  people  as 
he  may  micet ;   and  on   the  return   of  tlie  party  in 
the  spring  a  report  is  made'to  the  agent  by  ail  these 
chiefs,  in  person,  by  some,  of; their   companions, 
or  by  somexf  th#ir  tcrwn*s  .people,  stating  where 
they.  Imve   been,;  Tvhat  they  have  seen,  and  wha.t 
they  have  done;  ^"Thrs  is  a  very  importint  regu- 
lation ;   it  Ecives  the  ao^enta  correct  viev/  of  occur- 
rentes  t.hroijgh.outtlie_  extended  range  of  the.  hun- 
ters, arid  enables -.him,'  with  iiiGonceivable  Fpeed, 
to  prevent  or  .correct.crimes  or  abuses,  ^  In  furthcT 


(     9     ) 

aid,  the  sale  of  horses  has  an  additional  correc- 
tive to  the  special  licence  to  buy.  All  Indians 
having  horses  to  sell  are  now  bound  to  report 
them  to  the  agent,  and  receive  from  him  a  certifi- 
cate, describing  the  horse,  naming  the  owner,  and 
that  the  property  is  good.  So  far  this  regulation 
seems  infallible  on  the  Indian  side,  and  would  be 
so,  but  on  the  white  side  the  practice  does  not 
correspond  with  the  law.  The  people  on  the  fron- 
tiers purchase  horses  from  Indians,  without 
special  licence,  and  without  asking  anything  about 
the  true  owner.  Horses  found  on  the  Indian 
lands,  near  the  plantations  of  their  owners,  are 
frequently  taken  up  by  the  Indians,  carried  across 
the  river,  and  sold  for  a  small  part  of  their  va- 
lue only,  and  the  Indians  fi-equently  report  those 
sales  to  the  agent,  describing  the  horse,  where 
taken  up,  and  vvhere  sold;  and  this  has,  in  several 
instances,  enabled  the  agent  to  give  information 
which  has  directed  the  true  ov/ner  to  the  discovery 
of  his  horse.  As  no  aid  has  hitherto  been  fur-> 
nished  by  my  fellow  citizens  on  the  Ncrth-Eastem 
frontier  to  correct  this  abuse,  no  prosecutions  have 
taken  place,  for  the  want  of  that  proof  which 
they  could  give. 

TRADE, 

Since  tha  death  of  Mr.  Price,  pro  agent  of  war, 
there  has  been  no  licence  renewed,  as  from  my 
instructions,  the  agent  of  war  in  Georgia  was  to 
grant  them.  Ail  the  licences  granted  by  IVIr, 
Price  have  long  since  expired,  and  this  has  been 
thrice  repeated  by  me  to  the  Secretary  of  War, 
without  receiving  any  directions.  As  soon  as  the 
licences  expired,  the  agent  passed  a  general  regu- 
lation for  the  traders  to  continue  their  trade  not- 
withstanding until  further  advised  by  him. 

As  the  factor  of  the  United  States  at  Fort  WiU 
B 


(     10     ) 

liinson  Was  not  authorised  to  trade  in  cattle  and 
hogs,  the  agent  has  given  permits  to  people,  re- 
commended to  him  to  be  of  e;ood  character,  to 
trade  for  cattle  and  hogs  only,  and  these  permits 
are  limited  to  the  annual  season  for  beef  and  pork. 
This  regulation- was  deemed  indispensable,  as  the 
want  of  dealers  in  cattle  and  hogs,  and  of  course, 
a  market  for  them,  deranged  our  plan  of  civiliza- 
tion in  one  of  the  most  important  parts  of  it. 

PUBLIC  ESTABLISHMlLNTS. 

There  are  two,  one  among  .the  Lower,  and  the 
other  am.ong  the  Upper,  Creeks.  The  two  black- 
smiths, promised  under  the  8th  article  of  the  treaty 
of  Colerain,  reside  at  them..  The  smiths  are  in- 
structed to  mend  only,  and  not  make  any  thing 
but  by  order  of  the  agent.  In  the  spring  they  are 
restricted  to  implements  of  husbandry,  and  at 
other  seasons  they  attend  equally  to  any  work 
brought  them.  White  people  pay  for  their  work, 
and  this  constitutes  a  small  fund  for  coal,  wood, 
and  small  Eirticles  v/anted  in  the  shops,  and  is  re- 
served for  that  purpose.  The  smiths  receive  each 
26  dollars  per  month,  and  the  value  of  one  ration 
a  day,  at  the  contract  price  on  the  frontiers,  and 
the  strikers  10  dollars  per  month,  and  the  value 
of  a  ration  per  day,  paid  quarterly. 

The  manner  of  administering  Justice. 

When  the  National  Council  are  convened,  all 
the  v.-hite  people  are  ordered  to  attend  on  a  given 
day  ;  three  of  the  most  respectable  are  appointed 
by  the  agent  to  hear  and  decide  on  all  cases  be- 
tween white  people,  with  the  right  of  appeal  to 
him.  In  all  cases  between  a  white  man  and  an 
Indian,  the  agent  hears  and  decides  himself.  The 
judgments  have  hitherto  been  carried  into  effect 
wilhout  doing  more  than  giving  them  to  the  par- 


( 11 ) 

ties,  and  n-ithout  costs.  But  to  render  this  mode 
complete,  there  must  be  an  officer  appointed  to 
carry  the  judgments  into  effect ;  and  provision 
must  be  made  to  punish  thefts,  &c.  all  of  which 
shoidd  proceed  from  the  legislative  provision  of 
our  government. 

Expenditures  on  the  Creek  Agency. 

The  pay  of  the  agent  is  fixed  by  the  Secretary 
of  War,  and  a  sum  limited  for  the  assistants, 
"vvhich  is  assigned  to  them  by  the  agent.  The  li- 
mitation has  in  no  instance  been  exceeded.  Quar- 
terly an  estimate  is  m.ade,  specifying  the  precise 
objects  of  expenditure  ;  the  contingencies  certi- 
fied by  a  gentleman  who  pays  them  on  the  order 
of  the  agent,  and  duplicates  of  the  whole  signed 
by  the  agent ;  one  of  which  is  sent  on  to  the  Se- 
cretary of  War,  on  whom  a  bill  is  dra\A  n  as  here- 
tofore advised,  at  ten  davs  sig-ht,  in  favor  of  the 
United  States  factor  for  the  amount. 

In  som.e  cases,  and  not  unfrequcnt,  the  princi- 
pal part  of  contingencies  is  paid  by  the  agent  out 
■of  the  stipend  allowed  by  the  United  States,  to 
the  Creeks  ;  such  as  the  keeping  of  warriors  a- 
mong  the  Sjimiinolies,  to  watch  their  movements  ; 
the  apprehending  and  punishing  horse  thicA-es,  and 
in  some  instances  the  premium  of  2  dollars  and  50 
cents,  allowed  for  all  horses  deli^  ercd  to  the  aw'ent, 
where  it  is  ascertained  that  they  were  stolen  by 
Indians  (except  the  thief  informs  against  himself) 
12  dollars  ar^d  50  cents  allowed  for  the  delivery 
of  runavvay  negroes,  where  it  has  been  ascertain- 
ed that  they  haA  e  been  induced  to  do  so  by  Indi- 
ums, and  the  sendiijg  runners  to  the  neighboring 
Indians,  on  affairs  relating  solely  to  Indians. 

(Signed)  BENJAMIN  HAWKINS. 

fTc  be  ccntinued.J 


/?^-*.  /  V*-;-.t  »..**-- 


C< 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N^C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00032203455 


FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


Form  No.  A -368 


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